Resurrection – Christian Research Institutehttp://www.equip.org
EQUIP, Christian Research Institute, The Bible Answer Man, Equip AppMon, 19 Mar 2018 12:29:25 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.435687637Will the Created Cosmos Be Resurrected or Annihilated?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/will-created-cosmos-resurrected-annihilated/
Fri, 14 Feb 2014 05:49:17 +0000http://www.equip.org/?p=35153When the apostle Peter wrote, “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13), he was not describing an earth altogether different from the one we now inhabit but rather the cosmos resurrected without decay, disease, destruction, or death.

First, we might rightly conclude that the cosmos will be resurrected, not annihilated, on the basis of Christ’s conquest over Satan. As the cross ultimately liberates us from death and disease, so too it will liberate the cosmos from destruction and decay (Romans 8:20–21).

Furthermore, the Greek word used to designate the newness of the cosmos is kainos, meaning “new in quality,” not in kind—a cosmos existing in continuity with the present creation. Put another way, the earth will be thoroughly transformed, not totally terminated. When a flood destroys an island, it does not cease to exist, nor will the earth when it is renewed by fire.

Finally, the metaphor of childbirth is instructive: from Paradise lost will emerge Paradise restored. As Scripture puts it, “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22). But, like a mother, earth will birth a new Eden in which God will wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:1–4).

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in
the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only
so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,
the redemption of our bodies.
Romans 8:22–23

]]>35153What Are the Three Great Apologetic Issues?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/three-great-apologetic-issues/
Fri, 07 Feb 2014 00:02:07 +0000http://www.equip.org/?p=34836There are three great apologetic issues—origins, resurrection, and biblical authority. Chief among these is the issue of origins.

First, how you view your origins will determine how you live your life. If you suppose you are a function of random processes, you will live life by a wholly different standard than if you know you are created in the image of God and accountable to him.

Furthermore, in a Christian worldview, the transcendent God who laid the foundations of the earth condescended to cloak himself in human flesh. The God-man Jesus not only died so that we might live, but he demonstrated that he was the Creator of life by raising himself from the dead. As such, Christ does not stand in a line of peers with Abraham, Buddha, or Confucius.

Finally, we can know with certainty that the Book, beginning with the words “In the beginning God” is the infallible repository of redemptive revelation. As Christians we do not accept this truth by blind faith but rather by faith rooted in fact.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
1 Pet er 3:15

]]>34836Where is the Rapture Taught in Scripture?http://www.equip.org/eschatology/where-is-the-rapture-taught-in-scripture/
http://www.equip.org/eschatology/where-is-the-rapture-taught-in-scripture/#respondTue, 19 Jun 2012 22:37:08 +0000http://www.equip.org/video/where-is-the-rapture-taught-in-scripture/Hank addresses a caller who wants to know if 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 is describing the Rapture. Hank explains that this passage is dealing with the resurrection and goes on to describe how the Pre-Tribulation Rapture was conceived by John Nelson Darby. www.equip.org

]]>http://www.equip.org/eschatology/where-is-the-rapture-taught-in-scripture/feed/017052Will Children Be Raptured?http://www.equip.org/video/will-children-be-raptured/
http://www.equip.org/video/will-children-be-raptured/#respondWed, 07 Mar 2012 15:18:08 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/will-children-be-raptured/Hank answers the question, will all children be raptured even if they aren’t old enough to except Christ or haven’t reached the age of accountability? www.equip.org

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/will-children-be-raptured/feed/09737Is cremation consistent with the Christian worldview?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-cremation-consistent-with-the-christian-worldview/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-cremation-consistent-with-the-christian-worldview/#respondTue, 06 Dec 2011 19:26:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/is-cremation-consistent-with-the-christian-worldview/Cremation has become an increasingly popular means for disposing of the dead. In fact, by the year 2010, it is estimated that one-third of all Americans will cremate their loved ones. While those who opt for cremation often do so on the basis of emotional, economical, or ecological considerations, there are compelling reasons for Christians to choose burial.

First, Scripture clearly favors burial over cremation. The Old Testament pattern was always burial except in highly unusual circumstances. Likewise, in the New Testament Paul equates baptism with both burial and resurrection (Romans 6:4).

Furthermore, burial symbolizes the promise of resurrection by anticipating the preservation of the body. Cremation, however, better symbolizes the pagan worldview of reincarnation. While resurrectionists look forward to the restoration of the body, reincarnationists look forward to being relieved from their bodies.

Finally, burial highlights the sanctity of the body. In the Christian worldview, the body is significant in that it has numerical identity to the resurrected body. Thus, while God has no problem resurrecting the cremated, cremation does not point to the resurrection of God.

For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, Resurrection (Nashville: Word Publishing, 2000), chapter 15; and Norman L. Geisler and Douglas E. Potter, “From Ashes to Ashes: Is Burial the Only Christian Option?” Available from CRI at www.equip.org.

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Romans 6:4:

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-cremation-consistent-with-the-christian-worldview/feed/07928What Happens to those of Us who Die before Jesus Returns?http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-those-of-us-who-die-before-jesus-returns/
http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-those-of-us-who-die-before-jesus-returns/#respondWed, 17 Aug 2011 18:21:39 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/what-happens-to-those-of-us-who-die-before-jesus-returns/Hank Hanegraaff answers a caller’s question about what happens to those people who die before Jesus returns and where they go for now. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-those-of-us-who-die-before-jesus-returns/feed/09746What happens to children who die before they can make a choice for Him?http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-children-who-die-before-they-can-make-a-choice-for-him/
http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-children-who-die-before-they-can-make-a-choice-for-him/#respondWed, 17 Aug 2011 17:44:35 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/what-happens-to-children-who-die-before-they-can-make-a-choice-for-him/Hank answers a caller who asks “What happens to children who die? Do they go to heaven?” www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/what-happens-to-children-who-die-before-they-can-make-a-choice-for-him/feed/09747Dealing with Alzheimer’s Diseasehttp://www.equip.org/video/dealing-with-alzheimers-disease/
http://www.equip.org/video/dealing-with-alzheimers-disease/#respondWed, 17 Aug 2011 13:49:41 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/dealing-with-alzheimers-disease/Hank Hanegraaff discusses with a caller how to deal with Alzheimer’s Disease and the eventual hope of resurrection. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/dealing-with-alzheimers-disease/feed/09748What was the origin of evil?http://www.equip.org/video/what-was-the-origin-of-evil/
http://www.equip.org/video/what-was-the-origin-of-evil/#respondMon, 01 Aug 2011 18:44:29 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/what-was-the-origin-of-evil/In this video, Hank Hanegraaff explains to a caller the origins of evil. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/what-was-the-origin-of-evil/feed/09749Can Christians go to Hell for doubting?http://www.equip.org/video/can-christians-go-to-hell-for-doubting/
http://www.equip.org/video/can-christians-go-to-hell-for-doubting/#respondThu, 30 Jun 2011 16:00:15 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/can-christians-go-to-hell-for-doubting/In this video, Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and President of the Christian Research Institute, addresses Christians and dealing with doubts. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/can-christians-go-to-hell-for-doubting/feed/09751Is Amillennialism Heretical?http://www.equip.org/video/is-amillennialism-heretical/
http://www.equip.org/video/is-amillennialism-heretical/#respondThu, 16 Jun 2011 18:43:25 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/is-amillennialism-heretical/In this call, Hank Hanegraaff discusses amillenialism with a caller and both explains why differences in interpreting the book of Revelation are not a cause for division amongst Christians, as well as explaining the importance of grounding oneself in studying the full of scripture. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/hank-hanegraaffs-response-to-harold-campings-failed-prediction/feed/09755Jesus: The Superstar of Biblical Prophecyhttp://www.equip.org/video/jesus-the-superstar-of-biblical-prophecy/
http://www.equip.org/video/jesus-the-superstar-of-biblical-prophecy/#respondTue, 17 May 2011 13:31:47 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/jesus-the-superstar-of-biblical-prophecy/Hank Hanegraaff discusses his latest booklet, entitled Jesus: The Superstar of Biblical Prophecy. In it, Hank points out how seven different identifiers can be used to mark Jesus and Jesus alone as the fulfillment of major OT messianic prophecies. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/jesus-the-superstar-of-biblical-prophecy/feed/09756What about Purgatory?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-about-purgatory/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-about-purgatory/#respondWed, 13 Apr 2011 12:57:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/what-about-purgatory/Roman Catholicism teaches that believers incur debts that must inevitably be discharged in Purgatory “before the gates of heaven can be opened.” While Purgatory is not equivalent to a second chance for unbelievers, it is nonetheless decidedly unbiblical.

First, the doctrine of Purgatory undermines the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement on the cross. Scripture declares that Christ through “one sacrifice . . . has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14; see also Hebrews 1:3). Thus, we can rest assured that Christ received in his own body all the punishment we deserved, absolutely satisfying the justice of God on our behalf (Romans 3:25–26; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). When Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) he was in effect saying, “The debt has been paid in full.”

Furthermore, Roman Catholicism clearly undermines the seriousness of sin by forwarding the notion that there are venial sins that can be atoned for through temporal punishment in Purgatory. In reality, as the Bible makes clear, all our transgressions and iniquities are sins against a holy eternal God (Psalm 51:4). And as such, they rightly incur an eternal rather than a temporal debt (Ezekiel 18:4; Matthew 5-7; Romans 6:23; James 2:10).

Finally, while purgatory was officially defined by the Council of Florence (1439) and officially defended by the Council of Trent in the late sixteenth century, nowhere is Purgatory officially depicted in the Canon of Scripture. As The New Catholic Encyclopedia readily acknowledges, “the doctrine of Purgatory is not explicitly stated in the Bible.” Thus, Catholicism is forced to appeal to the traditions of the fathers rather than the testimony of the Father—who through his Word has graciously provided salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone (Romans 4:2-8; 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9).

By one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Hebrews 10:14

First, common sense dictates that a God of love and justice does not arbitrarily annihilate the crowning jewels of his creation. Far from rubbing us out, he graciously provides us the freedom to choose between redemption and rebellion. It would be a horrific evil to think that God would create people with freedom of choice and then annihilate them because of their choices.

Furthermore, common sense leads to the conclusion that nonexistence is not better than existence since nonexistence is nothing at all—as Norman Geisler aptly puts it, “to affirm that nothing can be better than something is a gigantic category mistake.” It also is crucial to recognize that not all existence in hell is equal. We may safely conclude that the torment of Hitler’s hell will greatly exceed the torment experienced by a garden-variety pagan. God is perfectly just, and each person who spurns his grace will suffer exactly what he deserves (Luke 12:47–48; Matt. 16:27; Col. 3:25; Rev. 20:11–15; Prov. 24:12).

Finally, humans are fashioned in the very image of God; therefore, to eliminate them would do violence to His nature. The alternative to annihilation is quarantine. And that is precisely what hell is.

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand,
he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has
been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.
He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the
presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the
smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.
There is no rest day or night for those who worship
the beast and his image, or for anyone
who receives the mark of his name.”
Revelation 14:9–11

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/is-annihilationism-biblical/feed/07941400 Years of the King James Biblehttp://www.equip.org/video/400-years-of-the-king-james-bible/
http://www.equip.org/video/400-years-of-the-king-james-bible/#respondFri, 08 Apr 2011 15:59:15 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/400-years-of-the-king-james-bible/It has been 400 years since the King James Bible was first translated in 1611. Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast discusses the early translation of the Bible and how important it is that we as Christians get into our Bibles and get the Word of God into us. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/400-years-of-the-king-james-bible/feed/09758What is Jesus’ Second Advent?http://www.equip.org/video/what-is-jesus-second-advent/
http://www.equip.org/video/what-is-jesus-second-advent/#respondFri, 08 Apr 2011 15:54:28 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/what-is-jesus-second-advent/What is the second advent? What is going to happen when Jesus returns? www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/what-is-jesus-second-advent/feed/09759Why should I believe in hell?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/why-should-i-believe-in-hell-2/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/why-should-i-believe-in-hell-2/#respondThu, 10 Feb 2011 15:33:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/why-should-i-believe-in-hell-2/The horrors of hell are such that they cause us to instinctively recoil in disbelief and doubt. Yet, there are compelling reasons that should cause us to erase such doubt from our minds.

First, Christ, the Creator of the cosmos, clearly communicated hell’s irrevocable reality. He spent more time talking about hell than He did about heaven. In the Sermon on the Mount alone (Matt. 5–7), He explicitly warned His followers about the dangers of hell a half dozen or more times. In the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24–25), Christ repeatedly warned His followers of the judgment that is to come. And, in His famous story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16), Christ graphically portrayed the finality of eternal torment in hell.

Furthermore, the concept of choice demands that we believe in hell. Without hell, there is no choice. And without choice, heaven would not be heaven; heaven would be hell. The righteous would inherit a counterfeit heaven, and the unrighteous would be incarcerated in heaven against their wills, which would be a torture worse than hell. Imagine spending a lifetime voluntarily distanced from God only to find yourself involuntarily dragged into His loving presence for all eternity; the alternative to hell is worse than hell itself in that humans made in the image of God would be stripped of freedom and forced to worship God against their will.

Finally, common sense dictates that there must be a hell. Without hell, the wrongs of Hitler’s Holocaust will never be righted. Justice would be impugned if, after slaughtering six million Jews, Hitler merely died in the arms of his mistress with no eternal consequences. The ancients knew better than to think such a thing. David knew that for a time it might seem as though the wicked prosper in spite of their deeds, but in the end justice will be served.

Common sense also dictates that without a hell there is no need for a Savior. Little needs to be said about the absurdity of suggesting that the Creator should suffer more than the cumulative sufferings of all of mankind, if there were no hell to save us from. Without hell, there is no need for salvation. Without salvation, there is no need for a sacrifice. And without sacrifice, there is no need for a Savior. As much as we may wish to think that all will be saved, common sense precludes the possibility.

“Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth
will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame
and everlasting contempt.”
Dan. 12:2

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/why-should-i-believe-in-hell-2/feed/07942Mark Sayers Interview with Hank Hanegraaff on the Bible Answer Man broadcast, Part 2http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-2/
http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-2/#respondMon, 07 Feb 2011 19:35:55 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-2/Mark Sayers talks with Hank Hanegraaff about his article in the Christian Research Journal entitled “Looking under the surface of the Millennial Generation.” www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-2/feed/09762Mark Sayers Interview with Hank Hanegraaff on the Bible Answer Man broadcast, Part 1http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-1/
http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-1/#respondMon, 07 Feb 2011 19:21:57 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-1/Mark Sayers talks with Hank Hanegraaff about his article in the Christian Research Journal entitled “Looking under the surface of the Millennial Generation.” Part 1 of 2. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/mark-sayers-interview-with-hank-hanegraaff-on-the-bible-answer-man-broadcast-part-1/feed/09763How do we respond to “Lost Gospels?”http://www.equip.org/video/how-do-we-respond-to-lost-gospels/
http://www.equip.org/video/how-do-we-respond-to-lost-gospels/#respondWed, 26 Jan 2011 16:26:29 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/how-do-we-respond-to-lost-gospels/Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, answers a caller who asks how she should respond to a friend talking about the “Lost Gospels” and the writings of Joseph Campbell. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/does-god-exist-part-1-elliot-miller-gives-natural-reasons-for-god/feed/09766Elliot Miller, CRI Journal’s Editor-in-Chief on Co-habitaionhttp://www.equip.org/video/elliot-miller-cri-journals-editor-in-chief-on-co-habitaion/
http://www.equip.org/video/elliot-miller-cri-journals-editor-in-chief-on-co-habitaion/#respondWed, 22 Dec 2010 16:47:57 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/elliot-miller-cri-journals-editor-in-chief-on-co-habitaion/Elliot Miller, Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal, responds to the discussion on CRI’s Facebook wall regarding his “From the Editor” on co-habitation in Vol. 33 #4 of the Christian Research Journal. The award-winning Christian Research Journal (published 6 times per year) probes today’s religious movements, promotes doctrinal discernment and critical thinking and provides reasons for Christian faith and ethics. Please subscribe to the Christian Research Journal at goo.gl www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/elliot-miller-cri-journals-editor-in-chief-on-co-habitaion/feed/09767Can reincarnation and resurrection be reconciled?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/can-reincarnation-and-resurrection-be-reconciled/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/can-reincarnation-and-resurrection-be-reconciled/#respondTue, 09 Nov 2010 20:15:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/can-reincarnation-and-resurrection-be-reconciled/An ever-growing number of people in both the church and the culture have come to believe that reincarnation and resurrection can be reconciled. In fact, multitudes have embraced the odd predilection that Scripture actually promotes reincarnation. In reality, however, the Bible makes it crystal clear that reincarnation and resurrection are mutually exclusive.

To begin with, the resurrectionist view of one death per person is mutually exclusive from the reincarnationist view of an ongoing cycle of death and rebirth. The writer of Hebrews emphatically states that human beings are “destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27, emphasis added). In sharp contrast to a worldview in which humanity perfects itself through an endless cycle of birth and rebirth, the Christian worldview maintains that we are vicariously perfected by the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9).

Furthermore, the biblical teaching of one body per person demonstrates that the gulf between reincarnation and resurrection can never be bridged. Rather than the transmigration of our souls into different bodies, the apostle Paul explains that Christ “will transform our lowly bodies” (Philippians 3:21, emphasis added). He explicitly says that the body that dies is the very body that rises (1 Corinthians 15:42–44).

Finally, the Christian belief that there is only one way to God categorically demonstrates that resurrection and reincarnation can never be reconciled. As Christ Himself put it, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). If Christ is truly God, His claim to be the only way has to be taken seriously. If, on the other hand, He is merely one more person in a pantheon of pretenders, His proclamations can be pushed aside easily. That is precisely why the resurrection is axiomatic to Christianity. Through His resurrection, Christ demonstrated that He does not stand in a line of peers with Buddha, Baha’u’llah, Krishna, or any other founder of a world religion. They died and are still dead, but Christ is risen.

Ultimately, resurrection and reincarnation can never be reconciled because the former is a historical fact while the latter is but a Hindu fantasy.

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Hebrews 9:27–29

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/can-reincarnation-and-resurrection-be-reconciled/feed/07985Does the Bible REALLY teach reincarnation?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/does-the-bible-really-teach-reincarnation/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/does-the-bible-really-teach-reincarnation/#respondTue, 09 Nov 2010 20:13:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/does-the-bible-really-teach-reincarnation/Reincarnation, literally, “rebirth in another body,” has long been considered to be a universal law of life in the Eastern world. Tragically, today in the West, it is now also believed to be backed by the Bible. The words of Jeremiah, John, and Jesus are typically cited as irrefutable evidence. A quick look at the context of these Scripture passages, however, reveals that they have nothing whatsoever to do with reincarnation.

First, in Jeremiah, God allegedly tells his prophet that he knew him as the result of a prior incarnation—“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). In reality, far from suggesting that his prophet had existed in a prior incarnation, Jeremiah underscores the reality that the One who exists from all eternity pre-ordained Jeremiah as “a prophet to the nations.”

Furthermore, in John’s gospel, the disciples allegedly wonder whether a man born blind is paying off karmic debt for himself or for his parents (cf. John 9:1-2). The gospel of John dispels this notion by overtly stating that the man’s blindness had nothing to do with either his sin or that of his parents (John 9:3). If indeed the man was suffering for past indiscretions, Jesus would have violated the law of karma by healing him.

Finally, Jesus himself is cited as suggesting that Elijah was reincarnated as John the Baptist (cf. Matthew 11:14). This tired tale is explicitly dismissed by Scripture itself. When the priests and the Levites asked John if he was Elijah, he replied, “I am not” (John 1:21). In context, Elijah and John are not said to be two incarnations of the same person, but rather two separate people who function in a strikingly similar prophetic role. Or as Luke puts it, John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (1:17).

One thing is certain! Reincarnation is completely foreign to the teachings of Scripture.

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
John 5:28–29

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/hank-and-elliot-discuss-gossip/feed/09772Where Do We Go When We Die?http://www.equip.org/video/where-do-we-go-when-we-die/
http://www.equip.org/video/where-do-we-go-when-we-die/#respondMon, 25 Oct 2010 20:39:26 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/where-do-we-go-when-we-die/What happens to us at death? Where do our spirits go, and what happens between then and our resurrection? Hank Hanegraaff answers this for a caller from Calgary, AB. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/where-do-we-go-when-we-die/feed/09774How Do We Reconcile the Old and New Testaments?http://www.equip.org/video/how-do-we-reconcile-the-old-and-new-testaments/
http://www.equip.org/video/how-do-we-reconcile-the-old-and-new-testaments/#respondFri, 15 Oct 2010 15:21:48 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/how-do-we-reconcile-the-old-and-new-testaments/Hank responds to a caller’s question about Israel’s blessings and curses under the Mosaic Covenant in the Old Testament, compared to Jesus’ response to a rich man in the New Testament. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/how-do-we-reconcile-the-old-and-new-testaments/feed/09775What does it mean to say that Jesus ascended into heaven?http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-does-it-mean-to-say-that-jesus-ascended-into-heaven/
http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-does-it-mean-to-say-that-jesus-ascended-into-heaven/#respondFri, 08 Oct 2010 14:12:00 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/bible_answers/what-does-it-mean-to-say-that-jesus-ascended-into-heaven/Over the years, I have heard more than one skeptic ridicule the notion that Jesus ascended into heaven before the very eyes of his disciples. In their view, even if Jesus were traveling at the speed of light he would not yet have escaped the confines of our universe. Not only that but he must surely be struggling with oxygen deprivation by now.

In response, let me first point out that to say Jesus ascended into heaven does not imply that he is traveling through space but rather that as the God-man he transcended time and space. Put another way, heaven is not located in time and space; it exists in another dimension.

Furthermore, the physical universe does not exhaust reality. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that an effect such as the universe must have a cause greater than itself. This is self-evident not only to those who are philosophically sophisticated but to thinking people everywhere. Thus, the notion that the creator of the universe transcended his universe should pose no problem.

Finally, I should note that God often uses physical examples to point to spiritual realities. Thus, the physical fact of Christ’s ascension points to the greater truth that he is now glorified in the presence of God and that our glorification is divinely guaranteed as well.

For further study, see Peter Toon, The Ascension of Our Lord (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 1984).

“After he said this, he was taken up
before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from
their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky
as he was going, when suddenly two men
dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’
they said, ‘why do you stand here looking
into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken
from you into heaven, will come back
in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’” Acts 1:9–11

]]>http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-does-it-mean-to-say-that-jesus-ascended-into-heaven/feed/08017Two Young Callers for the Bible Answer Manhttp://www.equip.org/video/two-young-callers-for-the-bible-answer-man/
http://www.equip.org/video/two-young-callers-for-the-bible-answer-man/#respondThu, 07 Oct 2010 18:20:25 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/two-young-callers-for-the-bible-answer-man/Hank takes questions from two seven year olds who ask some really good questions! Hank also emphasizes the importance of us being able to answer questions that others may have. www.equip.org http

]]>http://www.equip.org/video/two-young-callers-for-the-bible-answer-man/feed/09776Could Jesus Sin?http://www.equip.org/video/could-jesus-sin/
http://www.equip.org/video/could-jesus-sin/#respondMon, 12 Jul 2010 20:24:17 +0000http://simonwebdesign.com/cri/beta/video/could-jesus-sin/Is it possible that Jesus, the sinless Son of God, could have sinned? www.equip.org http